1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications and particularly to voice response platforms and methods.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Voice response units (VRUs) and systems are widely used to replace or supplement human operators and attendants. VRUs provide user access to information using a conventional telephone by providing voice prompts and information. The user accesses the platform using a conventional telephone and interacts using typically, either the touch tone pad and DTMF signaling or by speaking requests and responses. The VRU, in response, greets callers and provides instructions, prompts, menus and information to the user using prerecorded or synthesized speech. These voice response units are extensively used by service providers such as banks, government offices, customer service organizations, etc. to automate telephone call answering, routing and responding to inquiries. VRUs are also used to interface users with other applications, such as voice mail systems and telephone directory services.
VRUs are programmed to provide set responses to particular events and requests. Thus, a VRU may answer an incoming telephone call with a standard greeting followed by a menu or other information describing available choices and sub-menus available to the user together with the appropriate access method. For example, the user may be prompted to enter the number “1” using the telephone touch tone pad to indicate that a first option is desired, the number “2” to select a second option, etc. Alternatively, if the VRU includes a speech recognition capability, the VRU may prompt the user to speak a desired option or to input other information such as the name of a called party. As the VRU interacts with the user, it will provide information and prompting using appropriate prestored or synthesized voice messages.
As part of the scripting process, some VRUs take into account additional information in selecting an appropriate voice message. For example, some VRUs will greet a caller with a message appropriate to the time of day, day of week, etc. Certain VRUs also take into consideration information obtained about the caller to tailor an appropriate response. For example, once a caller has been identified either through the user entering identifying information such as a Social Security number or automatically through the use of automatic number identification (ANI), the VRU may tailor its scripts and messaging to that user by, for example, incorporating the user's name into the script as appropriate. Other VRUs allow the user to select the types of messages used or automatically attempt to select one of several available scripts appropriate to a particular user. For example, an inexperienced user may manually select detailed instructions for using an unfamiliar system while more experienced users may elect to receive more abbreviated prompts. Alternatively, the system may automatically select an appropriate level of detail based on user response time or the number of erroneous or incomplete responses received from the caller to prior prompts. However, while the system will adapt to a user by providing an appropriate script, the wording of each script is fixed and invariable.
While VRUs have consistently improved the speech quality of prompts and information provided to a user, present systems still fail to fully simulate typical human conversation modalities. For example, while VRUs are used to obtain telephone directory information and provide automatic dialing of telephone numbers, the scripting does not readily adapt to human conventions for handling alternative and exception processing. In particular, conventional VRUs include extensive prompts for a wide variety of processing options. However, before a user can select a desired option, he or she must first access the associated menu and, either wait for the corresponding message and prompts to be played, or manually bypass the announcements by entering a selection prior to completion of the announcements. In either case, the VRU does not provide the type and quality of interactivity expected of a human operator.
Accordingly, a need exists for a more user friendly VRU which provides an improved man-machine interface, enhances user interaction with the system and minimizes user frustration. A further need exists for a VRU which reduces the monotony characteristic of conventional automated response systems. A still further need exists for a VRU capable of simulating typical human conversation modalities and patterns and which can handle alternative processing without requiring the user to access additional menus. A still further need exists for a VRU that can handle normal system uses while accommodating exception processing. A still further need exists for a VRU that provides a wide variety options and alternative processes without impeding or burdening users of primary functionalities of the system.